Hunting chital in rainforest

[mickb]

Not actually in the forest proper, but on stock and goat pastures meeting the edge of forest, probably some scrappy gullies too. Local farmers reckon there are over 200 of the pests in the area. Got lucky after a bit of an absence from huntable land finding a few places to shoot, first one in about a fortnight is a 150 acre block.

Anyway, Ive never hunted them before. Any tips fellas?

Will probably also put some pig traps in. Actually anyone use deer traps?

[Billo]

Don't flap about as they will be gonski

Never shot one but mates reckon they are tuff as

[mchughcb]

All my thick hunting for amy animal is either dogs to flush them or set up and ambush. My experience hunting forest vs improved pasture is people wait at the boundary hoping to shoot deer. You need to be 200 to 300m baack into the forest off a game trail. The deer will get their timing right so the get to their pop hole 25 to 30 min after last light.

If you are using thermal or night vision wait until they are a good 50m inside the fence before plugging them. Saves time in recovery.

[Oldbloke]

The ambush strategy has worked well for me.

[Oldbloke]

Just noticed, small farm. Glassing can be productive, might help to find a spot to ambush them.

[Am88]

I don't find em that tough. In saying that you get the odd one that always seems to have more will to live like any animal, however 95% of the time it's bang flop using a .25-06 and .308.

I can't really help with tips as we only night shoot them with spotlights and thermal, I do know they are much flightier around the full moon when vision is better. I think a big factor is how much shooting pressure they get. Sometimes there's members of the mob that must be fresh and stand there literally like a deer in the headlights, then lots of others that book it as soon as any form of artificial light hits them.

Cheers

[Bello]

Hi mate (Warning Graphic content)
I have shot a fair few Chital deer.
I have used 223, 243, 270, 308 and 300 win mag.
If you want to keep the meat, I have found a well placed 55gr V-Max out of my 223, into the boiler room, no more than 200 meters is the ticket.
The other calibers tend to make toooo much meat damage.
These are two pics of the difference a 223 with a 55gr V-Max does compared to 243 with a 87gr V-Max

[mickb]

Thanks fellas

[Blr243]

Hunter them once over 15 years ago. And will again in June next year. Well done finding a new spot after a dry spell. If found a new spot too. Am hunting now. Got nothing last night. Got 9 pigs the night before last … goin out agsin tonight with thermal and shotgun.